Pomp and Circumstance
Throughout graduation season, I have had a variety of
conversations about the traditions, pageantry, and symbolism connected to
commencement ceremonies and the trappings of the academy.
I thought it would be timely to share some of the arcana
that arises most frequently in those conversations.
Academic Regalia
During formal academic gatherings, faculty and often
students will appear in academic regalia. There are different robes for each
degree. There is an Intercollegiate
Code on Academic Costume, which was established in the 1895 and has been
amended a number of times since. Many institutions have in-house practices that
deviate from these standards.
Robes
·
Bachelor’s robes have closed sleeves.
·
Master’s robes have extended oblong sleeve that
hang below the wrist. I have been told that this is a vestige from a time when
early scholars had a nook in their sleeves to keep their hands warm in unheated
medieval environments.
·
Doctoral robes in the U.S. typically have bell
shaped sleeves with three velvet stripes. Those stripes may be black, or the
color of the discipline. Presidents of colleges and universities may have four
stripes on their sleeves. I still wear my 30-year-old three-striped model,
which was a graduation present from my wife.
Hoods
·
There are hoods associated with each degree as
well. They combine satin in the institution’s colors with velvet or velveteen
in the color of the discipline.
·
Bachelor’s hoods are no longer the norm, but
many institutions, including Susquehanna still use them. These are 3 feet long
with 2-inch wide trim.
·
Master’s hoods are 3.5 feet long with 3-inch
wide trim. These have an oblong extension that mirrors the dangling sleeve of
the master’s robe.
·
Doctoral hoods are 4 feet long with 5-inch wide
trim.
·
Part of commencement at many institutions
involves the “hooding” of graduate-degree candidates. At large institutions,
this is sometimes done on the school level independent of the graduation
ceremony.
Special Robes
Many institutions have customized robes for their graduates.
The bodies of these robes are typically in a color(s) associated with the
institution and often include an insignia, often the shield, of the university
on the front velvet panels of the robe.
Here is an example from Boston University:
The Intercollegiate Code standardized colors for each
academic discipline, which can be used for all of the velvet portions of the
regalia. The default velvet color is black. Dark blue, which is aligned with
philosophy is often the stand in for Ph.D. degrees is a variety of disciplines,
but that is usually the choice of the consumer.
Here is a list of colors aligned with academic disciplines
from Wikipedia
Faculty
|
Color
|
Sample
|
Agriculture
|
Maize
|
|
Arts
(liberal arts), letters
(literature), humanities
|
White
|
|
Commerce, accountancy,
business
|
Drab
|
|
Dentistry
|
Lilac
|
|
Economics
|
Copper
|
|
Education
|
Light blue
|
|
Engineering
|
Orange
|
|
Fine arts, architecture
|
Brown
|
|
Forestry, environmental studies,
sustainability
|
Russet
|
|
Journalism
|
Crimson
|
|
Law
|
Purple
|
|
Library science,
Information science
|
Lemon
|
|
Medicine
|
Green
|
|
Music
|
Pink
|
|
Nursing
|
Apricot
|
|
Oratory,
communications studies,
broadcasting
|
Silver gray
|
|
Pharmacy
|
Olive green
|
|
Philosophy
|
Dark blue
|
|
Physical education,
manual therapy,
physical therapy
|
Sage Green
|
|
Public administration,
public policy,
foreign
service
|
Peacock blue
|
|
Public health
|
Salmon
|
|
Science (social,
natural
and formal)
|
Golden yellow
|
|
Social work
|
Citron
|
|
Theology, divinity
|
Scarlet
|
|
Veterinary science
|
Grey
|
|
Baccalaureate
The
word baccalaureate mean’s bachelor referring to the undergraduate degree. The
word is derived from bacca lauri
meaning laurel berry, referring to laurel wreaths placed upon the heads of individuals
honored for their achievement in ancient times.
In modern
times, baccalaureate is also the name for a ceremony,
often religious, held at educational institutions before commencement.
These typically include a “valedictory,” which is literally a farewell speech
to the graduating class. The term valedictorian has come to be used to
identify the graduate with the highest GPA because historically they gave that
address to the class.
Much of the early history of grades in American higher education
was associated with creating a way to determine which student would give that
speech.
Honorary Degrees
Colleges and Universities often confer honorary degrees to
individuals of extraordinary accomplishment or service. The earliest known
example of this practice was at Oxford University. In 1479, Oxford awarded an
honorary degree to Lionel
Woodville in recognition of his meritorious service as Chancellor of the
University. He later became the Bishop of Salisbury.
Pomp and Circumstance
The British composer, Sir Edward Elgar, composed 5 Marches,
which comprise his opus 39. The first was completed in 1901. It was premiered
along with No. 2 on a concert in Liverpool on 19 October 1901 and was an
immediate success.
In 1905, the trio section was played at the commencement
ceremony at Yale University where Elgar was the recipient of an honorary
degree. This portion of the march has since been played at many graduation
ceremonies in the U.S. and Canada.
In England, that trio is known as “Land of Hope and Glory.” Elgar
adapted it for choir as part of his Coronation Ode for King Edward VII.
Mace
At most higher education institutions, a Faculty Marshall
will lead academic processions carrying a symbolic mace designed specifically for
that institution. The practice began in the 17th century in England.
The mace was modeled on ancient battle clubs, but now represents the power of
academic freedom and intellectual autonomy.
At many institutions, the Marshall / mace bearer is an
appointed or elected position. At some, it is an honor bestowed on the longest-serving
faculty member. At one institution where I worked, the mace bearer was the previous
year’s winner of the outstanding professor award.
The mace at Susquehanna was a gift of the Class of 1963. It
was first used at our 108th commencement on 30 May 1966. It was made
by Hurst, Franklin & Co., Ltd., metalsmiths of London.
Around the edge of the silver bowl which tops our mace is
the University’s motto, Ad Gloriam
Maiorem Dei (To the greater glory of God). There are four rondels
portraying: an itinerant preacher on horseback, the Seal of Pennsylvania, Selinsgrove
Hall, and Martin Luther’s Coat-of-Arms. There are also 32 stars representing
the states in the U.S. at the time of the University’s founding in 1858. The
top of the mace is a three-dimensional rendering of the University’s Seal.
The same Seal is at the center of the ceremonial chain, or
President’s Seal of Office, that I wear at all formal academic events. It was
first worn by President Weber at the same ceremony at which the mace was
introduced.